# NS1 MCP by usefulapi (remote · ns1.usefulapi.io)

Read NS1 zones, records, monitors, data feeds and usage; create or update one DNS record.

- Trust score: 65/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-10-17

## Components

- remote · `ns1.usefulapi.io`: 65/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `required`
- Version: `1.0.0`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-10-17.

- **Endpoint Security**: 78/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - Authorisation is enforced on tool calls, advertised via RFC 9728 protected-resource metadata. Discovery is public, which costs nothing: no tool can be invoked without a token.
  - HTTPS enforcement could not be verified: the plaintext port redirected somewhere other than https, so enforcement is unproven.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
  - The authorisation server offers only Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591), which MCP 2026-07-28 deprecated in favour of Client ID Metadata Documents.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 0/100
  - Transport check failed: declared streamable-http, but the endpoint redirected instead of responding directly.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 82/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (good).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 2225 tokens (~123/item across 18 items; 18 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 17/100
  - Stability observed for 5 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 18 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 19 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 60/100
  - Spec-recency check failed: implements MCP spec 2025-06-18; the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server?

NS1 MCP by usefulapi is a hosted endpoint at https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http io-usefulapi-ns1 'https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-ns1": {
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "io-usefulapi-ns1": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.io-usefulapi-ns1]
url = "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "io-usefulapi-ns1": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add io-usefulapi-ns1 --url 'https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  io-usefulapi-ns1:
    url: "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-ns1": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add io-usefulapi-ns1 -t streamable-http -u 'https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-usefulapi-ns1": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-10-17 (score 65, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 13 to 17. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 4 days of observed history at the previous scan, 5 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-15 (score 64, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 7 to 10. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 2 days of observed history at the previous scan, 3 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-14 (score 63, +2)

- [security] The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads
- [functional] The server now declares the “prompts” capability
- [functional] First check of Schema quality: 100
- [functional] New prompt “getting_started”
- [functional] Server version: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0

### 2026-10-13 (score 61, 0)

- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03

### 2026-10-12 (score 61)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (18)

### `ns1_list_zones` (~130 tokens)

List zones

List the DNS zones in the account: name, id, TTL/SOA settings, primary/secondary setup, linked zones and tags. If next_page is not null, call again with its after/offset to get more. GET /v1/zones.

Input parameters:

- `after` (string): Continue after this item: pass next_page.after from the previous reply.
- `limit` (integer): Maximum items per page, 1-1000. Omit for NS1's default page size.
- `offset` (integer): Skip this many items: pass next_page.offset from the previous reply.

### `ns1_get_zone` (~161 tokens)

Get zone

One zone with its settings and its record list (each record: domain, type, TTL, short answers, linked/tier info). Large zones are paged: if next_page is not null, call again with its after/offset to get the next records. TSIG secrets are redacted. GET /v1/zones/{zone}.

Input parameters:

- `after` (string): Continue after this item: pass next_page.after from the previous reply.
- `limit` (integer): Maximum items per page, 1-1000. Omit for NS1's default page size.
- `offset` (integer): Skip this many items: pass next_page.offset from the previous reply.
- `zone` (string, required): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

### `ns1_get_record` (~122 tokens)

Get record

One DNS record by zone, domain and type: TTL, answers (with per-answer metadata), filter chain (traffic steering), linked record and region settings. GET /v1/zones/{zone}/{domain}/{type}.

Input parameters:

- `domain` (string, required): Full record name inside the zone, e.g. www.example.com (or the zone name itself for the apex).
- `type` (string, required): Record type, e.g. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT.
- `zone` (string, required): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

### `ns1_search` (~106 tokens)

Search zones and records

Search the account's zones and records by name (substring match). Returns matching zones and/or records with their answers when expand is true. GET /v1/search.

Input parameters:

- `expand` (boolean): Include full record details (default true).
- `max` (integer): Maximum results, 1-1000.
- `query` (string, required): Text to look for in zone and record names (at least 2 characters).
- `type` (string): What to search (default all).

### `ns1_list_monitoring_jobs` (~68 tokens)

List monitoring jobs

List the account's NS1 monitoring jobs (health checks that feed traffic steering): id, name, type, regions, frequency, rules, current status, active flag and notify list id. Request header values and credentials are redacted. GET /v1/monitoring/jobs.

### `ns1_get_monitoring_job` (~65 tokens)

Get monitoring job

One monitoring job by id with its configuration, rules, regions and status. Header values and credentials are redacted. GET /v1/monitoring/jobs/{id}.

Input parameters:

- `job_id` (string, required): Monitoring job id (from ns1_list_monitoring_jobs).

### `ns1_list_notify_lists` (~67 tokens)

List notifier lists

List the notifier lists that monitoring alerts are sent to: id, name and the notifier types and labels (email, Slack, PagerDuty, webhook). Notifier settings (webhook URLs, tokens, service keys, addresses) are redacted. GET /v1/lists.

### `ns1_list_data_sources` (~58 tokens)

List data sources

List the data sources (connections to third-party monitoring or custom push sources used for traffic steering): id, name, source type, status and their feeds. Connection settings and credentials are redacted. GET /v1/data/sources.

### `ns1_get_data_source` (~56 tokens)

Get data source

One data source by id with its feeds. Connection settings and credentials are redacted. GET /v1/data/sources/{id}.

Input parameters:

- `source_id` (string, required): Data source id (from ns1_list_data_sources).

### `ns1_list_data_feeds` (~64 tokens)

List data feeds of a source

List the feeds of one data source (each feed is one monitored item, e.g. one server's health) with id, name and settings. GET /v1/data/feeds/{source_id}.

Input parameters:

- `source_id` (string, required): Data source id.

### `ns1_get_data_feed` (~56 tokens)

Get data feed

One data feed of a source by id. GET /v1/data/feeds/{source_id}/{feed_id}.

Input parameters:

- `feed_id` (string, required): Data feed id.
- `source_id` (string, required): Data source id.

### `ns1_get_account_summary` (~43 tokens)

Get account summary

The account's subscription, resources and utilization (queries, records, filter chains, monitors, ... against the plan limits). GET /v1/account/summary.

### `ns1_get_usage_stats` (~280 tokens)

Get query usage statistics

DNS query counts for the whole account, one zone, or one record (give zone, or zone + domain + type). period is 1h, 24h or 30d; aggregate, expand, limit and after apply to the account and zone levels only (a record takes just period). If next_page is not null, call again with its after/limit. GET /v1/stats/usage[/{zone}[/{domain}/{type}]].

Input parameters:

- `after` (string): Continue after this item: pass next_page.after from the previous reply.
- `aggregate` (boolean): Sum the counts over the period.
- `domain` (string): Full record name inside the zone, e.g. www.example.com (or the zone name itself for the apex).
- `expand` (boolean): Break the counts down further. Account and zone level only.
- `limit` (integer): Maximum items per page, 1-1000. Omit for NS1's default page size.
- `period` (string): Time window: 1h, 24h or 30d. Omit for the API default.
- `type` (string): Record type, e.g. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT.
- `zone` (string): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

### `ns1_get_qps_stats` (~125 tokens)

Get queries per second

Current queries per second for the whole account, one zone, or one record (give zone, or zone + domain + type). GET /v1/stats/qps[/{zone}[/{domain}/{type}]].

Input parameters:

- `domain` (string): Full record name inside the zone, e.g. www.example.com (or the zone name itself for the apex).
- `type` (string): Record type, e.g. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT.
- `zone` (string): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

### `ns1_get_billing_records` (~39 tokens)

Get records usage (billing)

How many DNS records the account uses against its plan limit in the current billing cycle. GET /billing-usage/v1/records.

### `ns1_get_billing_queries` (~59 tokens)

Get query usage (billing)

Billable DNS query usage between two Unix timestamps. GET /billing-usage/v1/queries?from=&to=.

Input parameters:

- `from` (integer, required): Start, Unix seconds.
- `to` (integer, required): End, Unix seconds.

### `ns1_create_record` (~274 tokens)

Create DNS record

WRITE: creates ONE new DNS record and CHANGES LIVE DNS for that name as soon as NS1 serves it; a wrong answer can take a site or mail offline. Plain records only (A, AAAA, ALIAS, CAA, CNAME, MX, PTR, SRV, TXT; no NS/SOA, no traffic-steering filters or metadata). Refuses when the record already exists (use ns1_update_record). Answers are lists of rdata fields: A ["192.0.2.10"], MX [10, "mail.example.com."], TXT ["v=spf1 -all"], SRV [10, 5, 5060, "sip.example.com."], CAA [0, "issue", "letsencrypt.org"]. PUT /v1/zones/{zone}/{domain}/{type}.

Input parameters:

- `answers` (array, required): One entry per answer, each a list of rdata fields (see the tool description).
- `domain` (string, required): Full record name inside the zone, e.g. www.example.com (or the zone name itself for the apex).
- `ttl` (integer): TTL in seconds. Omit for the zone default.
- `type` (string, required): Record type.
- `zone` (string, required): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

### `ns1_update_record` (~228 tokens)

Update DNS record

WRITE: changes ONE existing DNS record and CHANGES LIVE DNS for that name immediately. Giving answers REPLACES all current answers of the record (send the complete new set); giving only ttl changes just the TTL. Plain records only (A, AAAA, ALIAS, CAA, CNAME, MX, PTR, SRV, TXT): when answers are given, a record that uses traffic-steering filters, links or per-answer metadata is refused (edit it in the NS1 portal). Fails if the record does not exist. POST /v1/zones/{zone}/{domain}/{type}.

Input parameters:

- `answers` (array): The COMPLETE new answer set, each answer a list of rdata fields (as for ns1_create_record).
- `domain` (string, required): Full record name inside the zone, e.g. www.example.com (or the zone name itself for the apex).
- `ttl` (integer): New TTL in seconds.
- `type` (string, required): Record type of the existing record.
- `zone` (string, required): Zone name, e.g. example.com.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-10-17: 65
- 2026-10-16: 64
- 2026-10-15: 64
- 2026-10-14: 63
- 2026-10-13: 61
- 2026-10-12: 61

## Common questions

### What is the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server?

NS1 MCP by usefulapi is listed in the public MCP registry as io.usefulapi/ns1. Read NS1 zones, records, monitors, data feeds and usage; create or update one DNS record. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp).

### Is the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server safe to use?

NS1 MCP by usefulapi scores 65 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server expose?

NS1 MCP by usefulapi exposes 18 tools: ns1_list_zones, ns1_get_zone, ns1_get_record, ns1_search, ns1_list_monitoring_jobs, and 13 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 2,001 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server require authentication?

Yes. NS1 MCP by usefulapi asked us for credentials when we connected, so you will need to authorise it in your MCP client before it can do anything.

### Is the NS1 MCP by usefulapi server still maintained?

NS1 MCP by usefulapi is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 17 October 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/m190/usefulapi-mcp
- Website: https://usefulapi.io/ns1/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-usefulapi-ns1/ns1